Phoenix Command Group Wikia:General Content and Editing Guidelines
This page contains a general list of proper procedure and guidelines for editors. It's very much WIP. General Editing Guidelines These are general guidelines for editors, detailing some of the nitty-gritty in terms of actually writing an article. Essentially, it's a list of do's and don't's for those writing stuff on the wiki. * Always follow the style guide and content rules, below. * Familiarize yourself with the various notices, or "tophats", available, and remember to use them appropriately. * Always use infoboxes! * Names for categories and species should be plural; everything else should be singular. * Use an object's formal name for its article title, even if it's obscure compared to a nickname or similar. Remember, you can always add a redirect if necessary ** For example, the name of the article for the Draugr's Adulator-class frigate is "Support Frigate Type 69 Acraenos-pattern Mk.XXXXII", even though very few people would actually call it that. * Category names should always use the spelled-out version of an acronym (eg "Caldera Imperial Republic" instead of just "CIR"). * All articles should begin with a one- or two-paragraph introduction that should serve to summarize the most vital info found within the article. If an article isn't long enough to warrant this, it's probably either a stub or too short to have its own article. * The first paragraph of every article (ideally, the first sentence) should include the subject's name, as well as any other common names/nicknames the subject goes by, in bold. ** Again, taking the example of the Adulator: "The Support Frigate Type 69 Acraenos-pattern Mk.XXXXII, codenamed Adulator by Allied forces and sometimes referred to as {Target:Milestone} in PCG technical or intelligence reports...". * All titles should follow standard conventions for title capitalization. ** The exception to this are hyphenated phrased— things like "name-class destroyer", "name-type heavy tank", or "clan-pattern" for Draugr ships. In these cases, the word after the hyphen (eg "class") should always remain lowercase, such as with the Audax-class Frigate. Do not make a redirect to the same title in uppercase.The reason for this is because these words would always be lowercased when writing an article, so the capitalization creates a bit of extra effort on other editors' parts— especially for those working with templates. If you're working on an article title and believe there to be similar circumstances, feel free to subvert the normal convention. If you believe there are a number of articles which likely follow the same pattern in this regard, bring it up to an admin; if they agree, it may be added to this list. * Don't be afraid to get liberal with your linking; if you mention something that has or should have article, don't be afraid to make it a link! That said, try not to link the same things multiple times per article; generally, only the first mention in the infobox and the first mention in the article text should be linked. * If there's something else you want to add to this list, let an admin know. Style Guide This is a guide of how write while editing the wiki. Note that this is primarily for finalized text, and not the random placeholder stuff that currently fills out most pages... * Use a formal, impersonal tone of writing. This means no personal pronouns ("I", "you", "we") and a use of proper grammar. If you want to make a casually-worded post about something, use the forum; same goes for stories. Occasional quips/sarcasm are permitted, of course, but keep it limited; quality over quantity. ** This rule does not apply to direct quotes, of course. * Keep it objective. Do not insert your own opinion on something into an article. However, describing an in-universe opinion or reaction is permissible when appropriate. * Avoid discussing Out-of-Universe subjects unless absolutely necessary. If you must bring it, up, make sure it's properly marked with the appropriate noticeNote that synopsis pages are an exception to this.. This means that most articles should not refer directly to real-life people (such as Kojan or Ant), concepts (like the VeilVerse), or things (like the forum). ** Building on this, do not mix In-Universe and Out-of-Universe writing. It can be confusing for readers and undermines the previous point. If you must transition between one and the other, make it a separate section and mark it accordingly. * Make it clear. This is a repository of information; people have to actually be able to use it. If the topic you're dealing with is too complex to easily simplify (ie FTL technobabble), write a main article describing the item in detail alongside a simplified "Synopsis" page. Content Rules Content rules dictate what should and shouldn't go on the wiki. * Objects from the old universe should not receive their own article; however, if an object from the current 'verse also had a direct analogue in an older universe (eg the Spectre), it may be noted briefly. * Proper nouns (such as characters, planets, and specific ships) always receive their own article, unless there isn't enough info on them to warrant an article in the first place (ie if a ship is only mentioned once in one story with no context/info on it, it probably doesn't deserve its own article). * Any object that has its own forum page likely deserves its own article, though editors are allowed a fair amount of discretion here. * All species and factions should receive their own, distinct articles— even in cases where the two are so heavily intertwined as to be used interchangeably (eg the Ostatki and the Duma) * Any RPs/stories should receive their own article summarizing the events within. If the RP/story is related to a major event with its own article (eg the CIRPG and the Calderan Plague Crisis), it should link to this event and be categorized with it ** The exception to this are RPs/stories that are themselves major events, such as Operation Omega. In this case, only one article on the event itself is necessary. Notes